Theo tells students to be future tycoons

Mr Paphitis has invited Dragons’ Den success story Neil Westwood from Magic Whiteboard - the world’s first portable whiteboard on a roll - to join him at the event.

Mr Westwood will give a speech to the students at Saviles Hall, Leeds in a bid to encourage entrepreneurship. Magic Whiteboard is said to be Mr Paphitis’s most successful and profitable investment.

Having recently embarked on nationwide ‘virtual tour’ of schools, Mr Westwood is hoping to inspire the future workforce and budding entrepreneurs.

He is hosting a number of sessions via Skype to primary and secondary schools around the UK to highlight the journey he has gone through to achieve his thriving business.

Mr Paphitis will be talking about the BA Honours degree in Enterprise Development at Huddersfield University which is already making headlines with students developing and delivering their ideas as successful businesses.

Professor John Thompson, founder and director of the course at the University, said: “Students come with a whole raft of ideas and the contribution by Theo and other business people is vital to the course to help to steer the students in the right direction, as well as them being supported by University staff.”

Mr Westwood said: “I feel really passionate that we should encourage entrepreneurship in this country and nurture our talent. The Magic Whiteboard has seen huge success thanks to the fact that I have had some wonderful business mentors.

Several Huddersfield students are now seeing signs of success with their own business ideas.

Jeffrey Postlethwaite is setting up Fasta Pasta Bar in the town’s Queensgate Market.

And his twin brother Matthew is planning to launch a new alcopop, which he is calling Awsum, in the autumn.